DERRIFORD RESEARCH FACILITY 2 3
UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY
With three core aims at the heart of everything we do, • Our research output in clinical medicine is ranked top in the UK, with 80% exceptional clinical learning, strong social engagement and of the research classed as ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘world leading* world class research, the Faculty has earned a strong and enviable track record for delivering high-calibre training for • The University of Plymouth Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, a wide range of health professionals. Training more than led by Professor Oliver Hanemann, is one of only four in the UK funded 1,800 students and professionals each year, drives forward by Brain Tumour Research. It is playing a key role in researching new the vision for Plymouth as the ‘First Choice for Health’ in the South West. treatments for brain tumours, the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40, and tumours of the nervous system Through our graduates and research we celebrate our vision. In addition, we see this recognised through various • The significance of our cross-discipline approach in Parkinson’s disease accolades and privileges. We enjoy ‘top three’ national is recognised through the appointment of Dr Camille Carroll as National status for preparedness for both newly qualified doctors and Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) their clinical supervisors (General Medical Council national Training Survey), and for our dental school (The Guardian National Specialty Lead for Neurodegeneration. There are 127,000 University Guide 2018), whilst our dynamic and rapidly people with Parkinson’s in the UK with one more person diagnosed expanding research operation and reputation continues to every hour shine a spotlight on just how much this comparatively young Faculty is achieving. “At Plymouth we train in the specialities that pretty much reflect the whole workforce of the NHS, and our education mission is underpinned by research.
In both education and research we are recognised for quality and achievement, but we cannot afford to stand still. We are committed to finding the solutions to some of the biggest medical challenges.”
*Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 Professor Rob Sneyd, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry 4 5
“This thriving environment looks set to flourish with the opening of Derriford Research Facility headquarters, which INSTITUTE OF TRANSLATIONAL AND provides an additional 2500sqm of STRATIFIED MEDICINE - ITSMed state-of-the-art laboratories for medical researchers and our partners.”
Launched in 2014, ITSMed brings Our research has attracted international researchers Professor Oliver Hanemann, Director of ITSMed including Matthais Futschik, Professor in Bioinformatics, together our world-class research in Edgar Kramer, Professor of Neurodegenerative Diseases, both basic laboratory and translational Professor Ji-Liang Li who joined us from Oxford University clinical science. as Chair in Cancer Immunology, and Professor Syed Hussain who joined us as Chair in Oncology. Our research ITSMed’s effective research collaborations has also resulted in a number of BMJ awards and funding from various bodies such as Innovate UK; MRC, NIHR; and transdisciplinary links between clinical BBSRC, whilst enjoying significant support from charities and non-clinical scientists are underpinned such as Brain Tumour Research. through its integrative ‘bench-to-bedside Through our Biomedical Research Group led by Professor and back’ research strategy. This approach Simon Jackson, we focus on three themes of research: cancer, infection, immunity & inflammation, and clinical to translational medicine which delivers neuroscience, facilitated by cross-cutting expertise in impact and patient benefit is sustained by Diagnostics, Clinical Trials and Public Health research. In these, we have unique combinations of research our Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit. and technologies that are developing critical mass and international recognition, all of which will continue to prosper with the teams operating in the Institute’s brand new physical headquarters, the Derriford Research Facility. 6 7
DERRIFORD RESEARCH FACILITY
Derriford Research Facility is an integral Located adjacent to the main Faculty building and neighbouring University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust part of the University’s £25 million (Derriford Hospital), it places additional world-class research investment to accelerate the translation of laboratories next door to a major teaching hospital thereby medical and dental research into patient encouraging cross-organisation collaboration. It reflects our role as a research-led University, with a major commitment to care and improved outcomes for people healthcare education. “The physical proximity of living with devastating conditions. Critically It further underpins our drive to transform the medical Derriford Research Facility to the it provides space: space to grow strong research landscape of the region. It will enrich effective hospital provides an even great and resilient teams of biomedical and collaborations with Derriford Hospital, medical and pharmaceutical companies, and is co-located with the boost to collaborative working clinical researchers to work collaboratively Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit, NIHR Peninsula Clinical and advancing clinically relevant and produce significant opportunities to Research Network on Plymouth Science Park. research in the laboratory. This expedite therapeutic treatments. Investment attracts and retains talent; providing researchers with cutting-edge equipment and the space to grow will significantly help to attract teams - including the best PhD students. This in turn further clinical academics at all supports the securing of high value grants and draws in commercial partners. We believe the impact will extend to levels, and research funding to Derriford Hospital, as leading consultants become aware help us achieve our ambitions that Plymouth is a first choice destination for a research- for growing biomedical research, rich career. alongside translational and health services research in Plymouth and surrounding areas.”
Professor Adrian Taylor, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry 8 9
We are investigating the mechanisms Introducing some key areas within our research environment… that initiate cancers and what makes Our internationally recognised work with low-grade brain tumours meant we were chosen them spread. We are working to to be a Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence. Led by Professor Oliver Hanemann it is currently one of only four centres in the UK to be partnered with the Brain Tumour discover approaches for early diagnosis, Research charity. Drs Claudia Barros and Xinzhong Li along with Professors David treatment and prevention in key areas of Parkinson and Ji-Liang Li all currently have funded projects in brain tumour research. cancer research such as brain tumours, Professor Simon Rule has been awarded significant funding by Cancer Research UK leukaemia, lymphomas and oral cancer. to lead a national research study (ENRICH) to compare the efficacy and side effects of using a BTK (Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase) inhibitor in a trial against standard chemotherapy Our development and success takes in patients with mantle cell lymphoma, a trial which is showing early success with many forms. participating patients in remission. Professor Syed Hussain’s major areas of interest are management of urological cancers, clinical trials, early drug development and translational medicine. He has set up a large number of clinical trials from early phase to late phase studies during his career thus CANCER providing early access to novel drugs for patients. An important focus on the development of new therapies lies at the interface between two of our research areas, cancer and immunology. Professor Ji-Liang-Li who joined us from Oxford University, is investigating the microenvironment of tumours and translational ‘Cancer is a leading cause of death and morbidity cancer medicine aimed at developing new therapeutic targets or biomarkers. His work also investigates the use of immunotherapy in new ways to tackle cancer. worldwide, and with an ageing population and Dental research in oral cancer is led by Dr Bing Hu, focussing on early markers of cancer lifestyle trends its incidence is likely to continue to initiation and biomarkers for metastasis – the spread of cancer. Dr Amiya Patra, Vandervell Senior Research Fellow in Cancer immunity, is exploring rise. Cancer is therefore an important core theme of the role of the immunity transcription factor NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) in leukaemia. NFAT is important in immune response. A better understanding of the our biomedical research’. molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis – the initiation of cancer formation – allows direct translation into new therapies evaluated in clinical trials. Professor Simon Jackson, Lead, Biomedical Research, ITSMed 10 11
“Moving the University scientists into BLOOD CANCER Derriford Research Facility next to the Professor Simon Rule hospital is key to successful collaboration The aim of our work is to end up with There are more than 100 variants of the Simon Rule, Professor in Haematology at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, and a bio-marker that will tell us how to treat Consultant Haematologist at Derriford Hospital, is one of the world’s leading experts disease commonly classified as Non- in MCL and has coordinated scores of ground-breaking clinical trials over the last 15 the patients.” years, in conjunction with the pharmaceutical industry. More recently these have been Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), a form of Professor Simon Rule cancer deriving from the immune system. chemotherapy based oral treatments. The most active of these have been a class of drug that targets Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, or BTK, a protein that is important in keeping the One of the most aggressive forms is the lymphoma cells from dying. incurable Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), The first drug in this class is Ibrutinib, which has, over a number of trials with patients which accounts for around 6% of all who’ve relapsed from other forms of treatment, produced near-unprecedented positive NHL cases. There are approximately 600 results with virtually no side-effects in the majority of patients. Now a world-first clinical trial, ENRICH, is under way, funded by Cancer Research UK, which is comparing this drug new patients yearly diagnosed with this as a front-line treatment to the standard form of chemotherapy. incurable disease in the UK, which reduces Derriford is the first hospital in the world to use these drugs and is at the cutting edge of life expectancy to around three years incorporating them into treatment regimes. from diagnosis. 12 13
BRAIN TUMOURS Professor Oliver Hanemann
Brain tumours continue to kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, and currently 10 people die of a brain tumour every day.
At Plymouth, through our Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, with a team led by arguably one of Europe’s leading researchers on low-grade brain tumours, we focus on meningiomas, the most frequent primary brain tumour alongside other low grade tumours. These tumours develop in the layers of tissue that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord and they progress from low grade to more dangerous forms of cancer of the brain and/ or nervous system. We are getting very near to understanding how this happens and once we do our findings will help us to find new biomarkers and new and existing drugs to replace current treatment regimes – which include invasive surgery and radiotherapy. By investigating the potential of existing drugs which are being used to treat other conditions in humans, for the treatment of brain tumours, we will be able to bring drug-based therapies to patients sooner rather than later, as these drugs would have already been through the testing necessary before use in humans. This is known as drug repurposing. We have a unique tumour collection, which allows us to further the research to look for biomarkers, some of which we have started to identify. These will help diagnose disease, predict the course of the disease and then identify the appropriate drug response. This can then be translated into clinical trials. “Moving into Derriford Research Facility means our research will benefit greatly from synergy; it will combine all the research groups in one area - the clinical researchers, the molecular biologist, protein biochemist, bioinformatician to speed up our drug discovery in biomarkers.”
Professor Oliver Hanemann 14 15
ORAL CANCER Dr Bing Hu
In 2014, 11,449 new cases of oral cancer Leading a team of eight researchers Dr Bing Hu, Associate “Scientists care about the research Professor in Oral and Dental health Research, is carrying were diagnosed in the UK, and there were out world-leading research in two major fields of dental environment, and they want to see if they are 2,386 deaths caused by the condition. research; cancer and regenerative medicine. able to work here. I’m convinced that the Survival rates for head and neck cancers Given the statistics, there is a particular focus on early new research building can attract top quality range from 19-59% yet 91% are preventable. detection of cancer and biomarkers for metastasis – researchers to come here. I’m already aware the development of secondary malignant growths. To discover a potential therapy solution the team are working of one post-doctoral candidate who has with at least eight collaborators worldwide, including decided to apply for a bigger grant to come the prestigious Max Planck Society in Germany and the here. It is a very positive sign.” University of Cambridge. Another major goal for dental researchers worldwide Dr Bing Hu is developing the ability to regenerate hard tissue. They need to be able to do this because hard tissue such as enamel, the hardest tissue in the body, has no regenerative capability due to the loss of the cells producing enamel after tooth eruption. Equally dentine, the tissue forming the body of a tooth beneath the enamel and cementum, which protects the tooth root surface, also have limited repairing ability. At Plymouth, we are currently seeking to identify, characterise and differentiate the dental stem cells for these three areas of regeneration. Research in this area also contributes to that of regenerating other oral tissues/organs such as skin, oral mucosa and salivary glands. For this reason we have the opportunity to attract the best scientists to join our team and accelerate our research. 16 17
This area of our research focuses on global health challenges INFECTION, in the areas of liver disease, innate immunity, pollution and health, bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance, vaccine IMMUNITY, development and oral health and disease. Introducing some key areas within our research environment… INFLAMMATION Our internationally recognised hepatology research led by Professor Matthew Cramp, Chair in Hepatology at the University of Plymouth and Consultant Gastroenterologist at Derriford Hospital, continues to expand and diversify its research portfolio. It is now adding the study of liver cancer development and its prevention to its main areas of activity in Hepatitis C virus “Lifestyle, pollution, healthcare associated infection, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A significant breakthrough in our antibiotic resistance research led by Dr Mat Upton has infection, antimicrobial resistance, new and attracted substantial funding to progress into early phase clinical trials. Dr Michael Jarvis has been awarded funding by the US National Institutes of Health, Medical re-emerging infections are all increasing Research Council and Innovate UK for his work on new self-disseminating vaccines for the infectious disease burden on mankind. infectious disease. Professor Simon Jackson is leading the research centred on immunological and This group brings together basic scientists inflammatory responses to infection, through which it is hoped a better understanding will help to develop therapies for severe infectious conditions such as sepsis that carry a and clinicians to link our laboratory-based particularly high mortality. Professor Ji-Liang Li is using molecular and cellular biology and immunology approaches to studies with clinical applications to drive dissect mechanisms of tumour growth and metastasis, to develop novel therapeutic targets and improve therapeutic efficacy by optimal combinations of chemotherapy, targeted improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies therapy and immunotherapy. for infectious disease and other conditions, Dr Gyorgy Fejer has developed novel, continuously growing, non-transformed model of lung alveolar macrophages (AMs), cells that play key roles in important diseases such as lung including cancer and neurodegeneration” infection, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This new system has already made possible the identification of several, previously unknown, innate immune phenomena Professor Simon Jackson, Lead, Biomedical Research, ITSMed in AMs. 18 19
HEPATOLOGY Professor Matthew Cramp
Liver disease is a growing medical concern for many developed nations with obesity, alcohol and viral hepatitis related cases. This is now reaching epidemic proportions in some areas, with more people dying, and at a younger age, than ever before.
The search for a vaccine for Hepatitis C is the key research theme for Professor Matthew Cramp, President elect of the British Association for the Study of the Liver. Over the course of 17 years, he has established the Hepatology Research Group and the South West Liver Unit at Derriford Hospital, from where he both treats patients and conducts many clinical trials. Currently the research focuses on two groups of people who have been exposed to the virus yet have shown remarkable resistance to it. The first are a group of drug users in the city of Plymouth and, working with colleagues at Imperial College London, they are studying the role that lipids – fat-like substances that occur in the blood stream – play in the transmission of Hepatitis C. The second is a cohort of eight people who have received a blood transfusion from a donor infected with Hepatitis C. Using DNA sequencing, the team are trying to identify the source of their immunity and whether it could be harnessed in drug form. “Derriford Research Facility provides the specialist laboratory facilities needed to expedite our research. It will also enable new interdisciplinary areas of research, such as a project that will allow us to work with Associate Professor Michael Jarvis, to investigate the development of liver cancers and the role of antibodies in tumour behaviour and treatment response.”
Professor Matthew Cramp 20 21
NEW AND INNOVATIVE VACCINES Dr Michael Jarvis
The threat of emerging infectious, Virologist, Dr Michael Jarvis has for a number of years been researching the development of a new self-disseminating form of vaccination, which reaches far beyond that of the ‘zoonotic’ diseases that originate in standard inoculation programmes. Through a herpes virus vector he hopes to develop a animals and affect humans was brought new means to prevent and treat many infectious diseases. to the world’s attention with the 2014 The research team has demonstrated the potential of virus-based vectors, which in effect Ebola outbreak. become ‘carriers’ for the vaccine spreading immunity with a single species, to provide protection against Ebola virus in the experimental non-human primate model. This has been followed by the awarding of £400,000 from Innovate UK to develop a new and economic vaccine to stop the spread of zoonotic infectious diseases – from animals to humans – by creating an immune response in animals using a bovine herpesvirus. Similar related vaccination strategies may equally be a means to resolve the bovine TB problem in cattle and badgers. The impact of bovine TB on farmers continues to be overwhelming; whole herds devastated as the result of one positive TB test. In addition to the financial and personal loss of each individual, the cost of bovine TB to the UK looks to be in excess of £1bn over the next 10 yrs.
“Our research projects are highly collaborative, I will be working with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Porton Down, UK, University of Liege, Belgium and Kansas State University and Derriford Research Facility provides us with this critical infrastructure of support.”
Dr Michael Jarvis 22 23
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE Dr Mat Upton
Antibiotic resistance has been identified by According to Lord O’Neill’s Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, it is estimated that it attributes to around 700,000 deaths worldwide each year. Unless action is taken, this is Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer projected to rise to 10 million lives each year by 2050. for England 2013, as a big a threat to global Antibiotics are vital in the prevention of infection as well as its cure. Without them, surgery health as climate change. would again become life-threatening. As bacteria evolve and become resistant to last-line therapies, the antibiotic arsenal available to health services dwindles. This makes Dr Mat Upton’s research into developing a new class of antibiotic – a first in class antimicrobial peptide for use in treating and preventing drug resistant infections and the first new family of antibiotics to be discovered for 30 years – critical. The new antibiotic is called epidermicin and Dr Upton’s early research is extremely positive, showing that a single dose is as effective as six doses of the standard of care – unprecedented in terms of activity. In effect this means his team are finding completely new antimicrobial compounds which they need to develop as new and innovative therapeutics.
“The next phase of development is pre-clinical testing, leading to Phase 1 clinical trials. Colocation with clinical colleagues at Derriford Research Facility will make the aim of the creation of a licensed drug within the next six years a real possibility.”
Dr Mat Upton 24 25
SEPSIS Professor Simon Jackson
Sepsis affects over 26 million people Every year, 150,000 people in the UK develop sepsis and 44,000 of those die, whilst over 25,000 suffer life-changing disabilities, such as organ failure and amputated limbs. Sepsis worldwide each year and is the largest is more common than heart attacks and kills more people than bowel, breast and prostate killer of children – more than 5 million cancer combined and the incidence is rising 8% every year. Furthermore, it costs the each year. Sepsis is the final common NHS over £2.9 billion a year. Despite this our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that give rise to sepsis is limited. To date, there have been over 300 clinical pathway in the vast majority of deaths from trials of potential therapies for sepsis without any improvements in mortality. infection worldwide. Inflammation, a key part of our immune defence against infection, becomes dysregulated in sepsis resulting in tissue damage, and can lead to a vicious cycle of persistent inflammation and immune suppression. Professor Simon Jackson and his team are researching how macrophages, key cells in our defence of infection, are activated by bacterial molecules, in particular, the role lipid metabolism plays in switching macrophages into different activation states to produce molecules that can initiate tissue damage and organ failure, the hallmarks of sepsis. Understanding how macrophages respond to infection will allow us to characterise different phenotypes, physical characteristics, of the immune response that are associated with the development of sepsis and identify novel therapeutic targets. It will also allow us to identify biomarkers that could stratify patients for the most appropriate therapy. Interestingly, recent evidence suggests that altered macrophage activation may also play a role in many other diseases with an inflammatory component including dementias and cancer. “The development and impact of our research will require interaction with many different areas of biomedical and clinical expertise. Derriford Research Facility is vital to promoting these interactions especially to be able to translate the research into clinical settings”
Professor Simon Jackson 26 27
We are investigating complex questions Introducing some key areas within our research environment… and societal challenges in the areas of Professor Jeremy Hobart is a renowned expert in the design, testing and validation neurodegenerative disease, brain health, of clinical rating scales for measuring health outcomes, with particular focus on the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis patients. damage and disease. Dr Shouqing Lou has been awarded funding by the MRC for his work on the role of autophagy and cell death in Huntington’s disease. Dr Claudia Barros and her team are investigating the differences between the types of neural stem cell. An understanding of the mechanism of difference is important because it could lead to the future development of neural stem cell-based therapies to counter the CLINICAL neural loss observed in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders (such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease) and in brain injury. Professor David Parkinson’s brain tumour research is particularly focused on control and NEUROSCIENCE repair in the peripheral nervous system. Professor Simon Jackson is investigating novel associations between lipopolysaccharide- induced inflammation in the gut and Parkinson’s disease, and will be collaborating with researchers in clinical neurology based at Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit, led by Dr ‘As we live longer, neurodegenerative diseases are Camille Carroll. becoming a key impediment to healthy aging and Dr Edgar Kramer’s research investigates the development and maintenance of the nervous system, with a focus on premature death of dopaminergic neurons associated lifespan. Our focus is to understand the underlying with Parkinson’s. mechanisms of such diseases, finding new drug Focusing on brain injury following the loss of blood supply, and particularly how the brain cells are injured Professor Bob Fern’s research is investigating the third biggest killer in targets and new targeted therapies and then Western society, Stroke, which currently doesn’t have any effective treatment. translating these new treatments into the clinic.” Professor Simon Jackson, Lead, Biomedical Research, ITSMed 28 29
HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE Dr Shouqing Luo
Around 8,000 people in the UK and 200,000 Researchers at Plymouth, led by Dr Shouqing Luo, have received a grant of nearly £520,000 from the Medical Research Council, to analyse a protein called Bim, which causes cell world-wide are currently living with this death in various tissues including those of the brain. At present it is unclear how Bim devastating hereditary brain disease. The levels and activity increase in Huntington’s disease. They have found that levels of Bim disease is ultimately fatal, and symptoms activity were increased in tissue samples from people who had died with Huntington’s disease, which led them to surmise that this could be linked to a brain cell death process affect the ability to walk, talk, think and in the disease. reason until eventually they become reliant Dr Luo’s team is looking at how Bim regulates two important cell functions: autophagy on other people for their care. Those born - recycling cell waste into energy, which is important to cell survival – and apoptosis, to a parent with Huntington’s disease have programmed or natural cell death. a 50:50 chance of developing it, and there Research targeting both autophagy and cell death, and how to manipulate Bim levels are critical to providing a solution to develop an effective therapy for Huntington’s disease. is currently no is cure.
“Our world-class facilities at Derriford Research Facility will provide great opportunities for us build to a connection with clinicians and further enhance our strength with Huntington’s disease research”
Dr Shouqing Luo 30 31
“For us in clinical research, Derriford Research Facility allows us to work much more closely with PARKINSON’S DISEASE colleagues investigating aspects of cell death in Dr Camille Carroll Parkinson’s and related conditions, which hopefully will lead to more exciting clinical studies for the 127,000 people have Parkinson’s disease in the UK. Currently there benefit of our patients in the future.” is no cure for this progressive neurogenerative disease.
Dr Camille Carroll Dr Camille Carroll, is National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) National Specialty Lead for Neurodegeneration. She is a researcher in Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Plymouth and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at Derriford Hospital. Her work focuses on early Parkinson’s disease detection and clinical trials of neuroprotective interventions in Parkinson’s disease. As Chief Investigator, Camille is currently leading a multi-centre trial co-ordinated by the Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit called PD STAT, investigating simvastatin as a potential protective treatment to prevent nerve cells from dying in Parkinson’s disease. This is an interventional trial comparing simvastatin with placebo, and is being carried out in 23 centres across England. Camille also leads the award-winning Parkinson’s Neurology Service in Plymouth, as well as the Parkinson’s Excellence Network for the peninsula of Devon and Cornwall, renowned for the extent to which people with Parkinson’s and their families are involved with developing the service and becoming involved in research. This approach is cyclical in that allows research questions to lead to service improvements which in turn generates more research, involving people with Parkinson’s and their families at every step of the process. 32 33
DATA NETWORK FOR DIAGNOSTICS NEURODEGENERATIVE RESEARCH CLINICAL TRIALS Derriford Research Facility enables us to expand our systems biology technology, which The manifestation of Huntington’s disease is highly complex Our clinician led medical research brings facilitates significant future clinical research development. Systems biology has been and involves multiple cellular processes. This complexity has responsible for some of the most important developments in the science of human resulted in huge and diverse sets of data, which in turn pose together researchers and clinicians from health. Its approach, through is that the networks that form the whole of living organisms considerable challenges to scientists in collating, analysing academia, medical research charities, NHS - genomics and proteomics - are more than the sum of their parts and can predict how and cross-referencing varied data sources. these systems change over time and under varying conditions, and to develop solutions Trusts, industry and patients. Together they to the world’s most pressing health issues. The development of predictive models An international team of researchers, bioinformaticians and develop and evaluate novel treatments biostatisticians has developed the first freely available data enables scientists to discover new biomarkers for disease, select patients based on through clinical trials. unique genetic profiles, and target drugs and other treatments to greater effect. network for scientists researching this debilitating and fatal condition. A unique feature of this new resource is that it links Through our diagnostics cross-cutting research we bring together laboratory scientists, various cellular processes in a molecular network to provide Aided by a strong collaborative, translational approach clinicians and technical, statistical, bioinformatics and database expertise. These include: a more holistic view of the disease. – taking the research to the patients and known as ‘bench- to-bedside’ – our research focuses on addressing unmet Bioinformatics and systems biology led by Professor Matthias Futschik – molecular Leading the project from the University of Plymouth patient needs and complex challenges in clinical medicine in networks in human health and disease, systems biology of stem cells, gene regulation in is Professor Matthias Futschik, who believes that this the areas of cancer, neuroscience and liver disease. cyanobacteria, development of databases and software tools. approach might also be applied to other neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, Our research is enabled by our close working relationship Medical statistics led by Siobhan Creanor – statistical support and analysis across a wide and potentially facilitate the development of new therapies with neighbouring Derriford Hospital, one of Europe’s range of biomedical and clinical research areas, trials and services. for these diseases too. This is further enhanced through largest hospitals with an excellent track record for patient Bioinformatics and statistics led by Dr Xinzhong Li – analysis and interpretation of data colocation with leading biomedical researchers at Derriford recruitment into clinical trials, and supported by the generated by biomedical / clinical research studies with focus on Alzheimer’s disease, Research Facility. University’s Medical Statistics team and its UKCRC registered brain tumours and biomarker discovery. Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit (PenCTU). Blood diagnostics led by Dr Tracey Madgett – focus on genotyping of transfusion blood The PenCTU is a leading academic clinical trials unit, supplies and Down’s syndrome biomarkers for non-invasive prenatal testing. “The move into Derriford Research Facility without with expertise in designing, developing, supporting and any doubt facilitates collaboration between different co-ordinating high quality, clinical trials that will directly disciplines and with clinical research. In my case, it influence clinical and healthcare practice. PenCTU currently allows me to contribute to the research by providing receives National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) CTU support funding. This funding has been awarded to support expertise in advanced computational biology, the Unit in developing and supporting NIHR trials. and equally to the bio medic teams supporting experimental validation of the computational results.” This research interface will now be further enhanced through biomedical research collaborations through Derriford Professor Matthias Futschik Research Facility. 34 35
COLLABORATING WITH BUSINESS COLLABORATING WITH UNIVERSITY
Working with industry is central to our From licensing of our IP and novel technologies, R&D HOSPITALS PLYMOUTH NHS TRUST – collaborations and accessing our expertise through approach to deliver research with real- consultancy to contract research and use of our state-of-the- DERRIFORD HOSPITAL world impact with patient, public and art facilities the Derriford Research Facility provides a range economic benefit. of opportunities to help grow your business, develop new products and services and achieve your innovation goals, in University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust “Derriford Research Facility is incredibly partnership with the University of Plymouth. is the largest hospital in the South West important to the partnership to take Peninsula, providing comprehensive forward our research ambitions for secondary and tertiary healthcare. our local population. Building on this The population it serves is characterised by its diversity – the complementary expertise, streamline the rural and the urban, the wealthy and pockets of deprivation, pathways between clinical services and and wide variance in health and life expectancy. Population DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ageing is a recognised national trend, but is exacerbated research. With half a million people coming ANTIBIOTICS locally by the drift of younger people out of the area and through the doors of the hospital every year, older people in. The proportion of our population aged every person is also an opportunity to drive Derriford Research Facility based scientists led by Dr Mat 85 or over is growing ahead of the national average by Upton and his Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens research approximately 10 years, giving Plymouth the opportunity to innovation and excellence in healthcare, group are working in partnership with Ingenza Ltd (Edinburgh) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL, innovate on behalf the nation in services for the elderly. science and research.” London) to develop a design and manufacturing platform The University of Plymouth Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry for the production of a new family of antibiotics. Ann James, HonD Health has long had strong links with the hospital, at teaching, CEO, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust Funded by Innovate UK, the consortium will take a consultant and patient level. This is in addition to providing model bacteriocin, discovered by University staff, and leading translational research in partnership, including the enhance its performance in terms of range of action, development of an alternative to chemotherapy for some stability and potency, prior to scaling up manufacturing leukaemia patients; research around hepatitis, liver disease for commercial production and full clinical evaluation. and liver cancer. This is envisaged as the first phase in the development of a pipeline of new antibiotic drugs to help address the global crisis caused by antibiotic resistance. 36 37
Prof C Oliver Hanemann, Brain Tumour Research, £1,282,690, Brain Tumour Research Centre of PENINSULA MEDICAL FOUNDATION RESEARCH GRANT Excellence FUNDING AWARDS, Dr Mat Upton, Innovate UK, £933,000, Design and development of new antibiotics Peninsula Medical Foundation is an “We work with individuals, communities, businesses, trusts and Dr Xinzhong Li, EU Horizon 2020, €3,687,312, AiPBAND: training a new generation of independent charity fundraising for foundations, all of whom share our vision to help improve the healthcare INCLUDE… entrepreneurial and innovative early-stage researchers in the early diagnosis of brain tumours University of Plymouth Faculty of Medicine and quality of life for people across the region and beyond. Their Dr Bing Hu, Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), £564,576, Role of generous support has enabled us to raise almost £4 million since 2002. FoxNi gene as a control regulator of epidermal planar cell polarity signalling expression and and Dentistry. function Our Patrons and Trustees all have strong connections with Devon and Dr Claudia Barros, BBSRC, £319,301, Decoding the molecular identity of neural stem cell types Cornwall. What unites them is a common belief in the high quality work Dr Michael Jarvis, Innovate UK, £408589, Multivalent Attenuated Vaccine against Viral and of Plymouth’s Peninsula Medical and Dental Schools and their need for Bacterial Zoonoses in Ruminants support so that they can continue to thrive and transform lives. Dr Kim Tieu, Medical Research Council (MRC), £437,163, Manipulating mitochondrial dynamics as a therapeutic strategy for Parkinson’s disease Together with our leading researchers, we believe that Derriford Research Facility has the potential to be a flourishing research and teaching Dr Camille Carroll, Cure Parkinson Trust / The J P Moulton Charitable Foundation, £557,856, Simvastatin as a neuroprotective treatment for Parkinson’s disease environment for the brightest and the best in healthcare. As we have seen, these are the talented minds with the potential to develop therapies Prof Simon Rule, Cancer Research UK £644,545, Research into the efficacy and side effects of using a BTK (Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase) inhibiting drug in a trial against standard chemotherapy and cures for devastating conditions such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and infection. Their presence creates a culture of excellence, Prof Simon Jackson, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) £278,471, Detection and characterisation of inflammatory agents associated with bioaerosol emitted from biowaste which in turn has a direct bearing on the quality of care delivered by and intensive agriculture local health services. But when it comes to retaining and attracting Dr Shouqing Luo, MRC, £535,662, Targeting Bim as a dual regulator of autophagy and talented professionals we are up against the strongest competition. apoptosis to tackle Huntington’s Disease Although Plymouth is a ‘young’ medical school - and our teams are doing Prof. Bob Fern, BBSRC, £340,551, Ion homestatis in optic nerve astrocytes outstanding work with what they already have - we desperately need to Prof. David Parkinson, MRC, £334,694, Interaction between Sox-10 and the tumour suppressor continue to enrich and expand our infrastructure if they are to thrive.” Merlin in tumours of the nervous system Denis Wilkins FRCS Prof. Simon Jackson, BBSRC, £443,564, Moving up a dimension: 3D in vitro models as effective Chair, Peninsula Medical Foundation alternatives to live fish studies 38
HEADLINES
€3.7 MILLION project for the next generation of brain tumour researchers
NATIONAL neurodegeneration role for Plymouth academic and clinician
Innovate UK funds NEW kind of vaccine to target deadly pathogens emerging from animals
Consortium receives funding to DISCOVER, DEVELOP AND MANUFACTURE new antibiotics
NEW RESEARCH offers hope to neuro-tumour patients
NEW data network for Huntington’s disease research
University spin-out company addresses NEW VACCINES KEY INFORMATION ROUTES AND CONTACTS
Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine www.plymouth.ac.uk/PUPSMD-research [email protected] South West cardiac study chosen as NIHR 10th anniversary SHOWCASE project Business collaboration www.plymouth.ac.uk/PUPSMD-research [email protected] Peninsula Medical Foundation www.plymouth.ac.uk/peninsula-medical-foundation [email protected] NEW research may pave the way for peripheral nerve damage repair University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/ Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit www.plymouth.ac.uk/PUPSMD-research Medical Research Council funds development of NEW STRATEGIES to treat and prevent Hepatitis C virus infection